Abstract

The different sites selected from Agro-pastorals communities at Gewane and Fentale districts (Ftaledy and Alge) in 2017-18 under lowland irrigated areas. Fifteen (15) irrigated bread wheat cultivars used using RCBD in two replications on 5 m² plot area. The ANOVA revealed highly significant difference (p 0.01) among cultivars and Environments for the different traits under study. The Genotypes by environment interaction was highly significant difference (p 0.01) for plant height, thousand kernel weight and Grain yield. By mean yield (kg/ha) outperformed cultivars were Amibara-2 (4005), G14 (3924), Fentale 3909 followed by Lucy and Fentale-2 with 3838 and 3773 respectively. GLADIUS/2*BAVIS cultivar is the best in its thousand kernel weight and earliness followed by Fentale-2 and Amibara-2 and preferred similarly by Agro-pastorals. Winners at respective environment were G3 (Lucy) and G7 (Amibara-2) at gewane in 1^st and 2^nd respectively, and G14 (WHEAR/KUKUNA/3/C80.1/3*BATAVIA//2*WBLL1*2/4/ ND643/2*WBLL1), G6 (Fentale-2) and G4 (Fentale) won at Alge environment, and also at Fateledy G5 (Amibara) was the winner. The most stable cultivar were G4 (Fentale), G6 (Fentale-2), G5 (Amibara) and G10 (ETBW5898). The farmers’ preference for biomass (Fentale, Ga’ambo and ETBW 5955), spike length and spike density (Fentale and Fentale-2) and for uniformity the leading cultivars are Fentale-2 as the 1^st rank, and Fentale, ETBW 5898, G15 as the 2^nd choices. By the Awn characteristics; Fentale-2 is most preferred followed by Fentale and G15. In crop stand Fentale-2 and Fentale got 1^st and 2^nd rank respectively followed by the Ga’ambo, G8, G15 and ETBW5898. Based on total value of selection and general ranking mean the three out most preferred varieties were identified as Fentale-2, Fentale and Ga’ambo orderly.

Keywords: Agro-pastoral; Bread wheat cultivars; Participatory variety selection; Stability